Beverage brewing systems and methods for using the same

Abstract

The beverage brewing system includes a liquid conduit system fluidly coupled to a liquid source, a brew head in fluid communication with the liquid conduit system and configured to selectively receive and retain a quantity of beverage medium to be brewed by liquid delivered by the liquid conduit system during a brew cycle. A pump fluidly coupled with the liquid conduit system between the liquid source and the brew head displaces a fixed quantity of liquid from the liquid source to the brew head during a pump revolution. A microcontroller monitors the pump to determine the real-time quantity of liquid displaced to the brew head during the brew cycle based only on operational characteristics of the pump.

1 - 60 . (canceled) 
     
     
         61 . A method for regulating a pump during a cycle, comprising:
 displacing a first quantity of fluid from a tank to a chamber to pre-wet a quantity of beverage medium in said chamber;   changing a voltage applied to the pump;   displacing a second quantity of fluid from the tank to the chamber; and   stopping the pump.   
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein changing the voltage applied to the pump comprises increasing the voltage applied to the pump. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the first quantity of fluid comprises 10 percent or less of a serving size and the second quantity of fluid comprises 80 percent or more of a serving size. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the fluid is a liquid. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 61 , further comprising operating the pump at a first pump voltage while displacing the first quantity of fluid, and wherein changing the voltage applied to the pump comprises changing the voltage to a second voltage lower than the first voltage. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the fluid is water and/or steam. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein displacing the first quantity of fluid further comprises pre-heating the quantity of beverage medium in the chamber. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the first quantity of fluid is contained within the chamber until the second quantity of fluid enters the chamber. 
     
     
         69 . A method for brewing a beverage from a beverage medium in a beverage cartridge, comprising:
 initiating a first set of conditions for a pump;   operating the pump with the first set of conditions to deliver a first quantity of fluid to the beverage cartridge, wherein the first quantity of fluid wets the beverage medium in the beverage cartridge;   changing the first set of conditions to a second set of conditions;   operating the pump with the second set of conditions to deliver a second quantity of fluid to the beverage cartridge;   displacing at least a portion of the first quantity of fluid and at least a portion of the second quantity of fluid from the beverage cartridge, in which the displaced first quantity of fluid and the displaced second quantity of fluid comprise the beverage; and   purging at least a portion of the second quantity of fluid from the beverage cartridge.   
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69 , in which the first set of conditions comprises at least one of an increased voltage, an increased pressure, and a decreased time relative to the second set of conditions. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 69 , in which the second set of conditions varies during delivery of the second quantity of fluid. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 69 , in which the beverage exits the beverage cartridge after the second quantity of fluid is delivered to the beverage cartridge. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 69 , in which the first quantity of fluid is a heated fluid. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 69 , in which the first quantity of fluid is delivered to the beverage cartridge for a portion of a brew cycle. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 69 , in which purging comprises pumping air to the beverage cartridge. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 69 , further comprising measuring the first quantity of fluid by monitoring at least one characteristic of the pump. 
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 76 , further comprising measuring the second quantity of fluid by monitoring the at least one characteristic of the pump. 
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 69 , further comprising delivering the first quantity of fluid to the beverage cartridge through a rotating inlet needle. 
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 69 , further comprising delivering the second quantity of fluid to the beverage cartridge through a rotating inlet needle. 
     
     
         80 . A method for brewing a beverage from a beverage medium in a beverage cartridge, comprising:
 operating a pump with a first set of conditions to deliver a first quantity of fluid to the beverage medium in the beverage cartridge;   operating the pump with a second set of conditions to deliver a second quantity of fluid to the beverage medium in the beverage cartridge; and   displacing at least a portion of the first quantity of fluid and at least a portion of the second quantity of fluid from the beverage cartridge, in which the displaced first quantity of fluid and the displaced second quantity of fluid comprise the beverage.